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Sunday, December 14, 2008

The Wire, III

Notice to all interested parties, one Idris Elba, aka Stringer Bell is now available again. I'm cutting him loose. I mean, I knew he was a criminal--though I know one of the points of this series is to show the thin line between "criminal," taken to mean "bad guy" and "authorities"--but some criminals, like Omar who prides himself on never killing "a citizen" (someone not involved in drugs), have a code. Stringer Bell is now dead to me--you don't kill someone's child then pretend you're her best friend and truly concerned. That is so low down and dirty!

Some things I've been meaning to comment on 1) the almost "casual" racism, sexism, and homophobia. Like, really, "cunt" and "nigger" and "faggot" and "Polack" can just fall out of people's mouths and the next moment, they're eating dinner or drinking or working with someone they've included in one of the slurs referenced above. The stevedores/longshoremen are perfect examples. I don't doubt that they love each other, have a strong bond, but I'm struck by their language.

ETA: And, Maurice Levy: If I knew someone like him, I would step in his face, using all my considerable weight and really, really high heels. But so much of that character is a grossly-caricatured, anti-Semitic stereotype--when Bri calls him "that Jew lawyer," I was like, "Damn, we get it!!!"

And references like "project niggers" and when Prez cracked the phone code used by the Barksdales--he knew it had to be easy because the black Barksdale gang wouldn't be able to use algebra or something he said.

Clear cases of exceptionalization I think--"the black people I work with/respect are not like those 'project niggers'"; Kima is a "cool" lesbian; Omar is gay, "but" he's tough as hell and has the aforementioned code. Jimmy McNulty's wife "Elena" is "different" from the other women he treats as if they are disposable.

2) The level of inner city violence. A shootout on a city street in daylight? Drug gangs "controlling" public housing? I knew, but didn't KNOW. Hell, I still don't know. I feel naive and frustrated. I'm most angry at the police and politicians who are willing to let the city die behind politics--really, is it that serious? There's so much more I could say here, but I'm just still taken aback.

3) The drinking. My God.

I made it through episode 10 of season two last night, slid the final disc, episodes 11 and 12, out of the sleeve and realized it was broken. Cracked from center to outside like a line of radius or something. If I could kick someone's ass at netflix, I would.

So, here's the plan. I go drop season two in the mailbox. I grudgingly rent the last disc of season two and the first two of season three at the video store. That will tide me over until the rest of season three and beginning of season four come on Wednesday. Ok, it won't, but I can't justify paying for netflix and making numerous trips to the video store. Ye old budget says no.

That's probably all I can do before the break--I have my last final tomorrow and grades are due the 19th, plus we have all the end-of-semester get-togethers and luncheons and stuff. I'm trying to figure out how to at least get the rest of season four to take home with me.

mrs. o says that we have to figure out a way to get whatever I need while I'm in Louisiana so that she finally has someone with whom she can discuss the show. For her, I'd be willing to buy the last season, except I really don't watch too many shows/movies after I've seen them once. Plus, no lie, Christmas has me on the verge of BROKE!!!